The Christmas Slippers
by cakefic
Summary: Mimi had always had a ‘thing’ for shoes. But, there was a time where the shoes weren’t stilettos…way PreRENT and PostRENT. written for speed rent.


**Title: The Christmas Slippers****  
****Author: Kristie "MrS. LuCkY SpEnCeR" (monorail geek at lj)**

**Feedback: Would be appreciated :D ****  
****Pairing: Mimi/Angel friendship fluff. You know you love it. Bit of Roger/Mimi fluff too.****  
****Word Count: 899****  
****Rating: G/K**

**Genre: General  
Summary: Mimi had always had a 'thing' for shoes. But, there was a time where the shoes weren't stilettos…way PreRENT and PostRENT. written for speedrent  
Notes: Written for speed rent challenge #175. The prompts were "half, snow, window shopping, slippers". ****Title's based off The Christmas Shoes. The story isn't though.**  
**Special Thanks: My ancient, close-to-being-worn out Cinderella tape. The oldest video we own, older than me. I still love you, even though I watch the DVD now. 3  
Spoilers: Today 4 U. Angel likes girls' clothes. And Christmas Bells are indeed ringing.  
Warnings: Fluff.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Rent, and I most likely never will.**

Little Mimi Marquez gasped as she held her hands to the store window. Her breath fogged over the glass, and she wiped it away with her hand. A joyous smile spread across the little girl's face.

"Look, mama!" she called to her mother, who was balancing Mimi's baby brother and groceries in her arms, "Look at these!" she was pointing at the window now.

"Chica, we gotta get a move on. Tia Rosie is coming over, and I've got to get dinner started.

"Just quick?" The five-year old's brown eyes became large with hope.

Her mother gave in and walked over to the toy-store window, where her daughter was pointing at a cheap pair of dress-up slippers.

"Mimi, they're just shoes."

"No, they're not, mama! They're slippers! Glass slippers! Just like Cinderella's."

"They're toys, chica. Come on, enough window shopping. You've stopped at every store we've passed today and pointed out everything you've wanted, liked, or were considering."

"But, mama! You told me to window shop, 'cause Christmas is soon."

And it certainly looked like Christmas. The Manhattan street was a bright blur of red and green, with Salvation Army Santas at every corner. And it was beginning to snow.

"Come on, baby." The woman grabbed her daughter's hand, "We've got to get home. I think Miguel needs to take a ciesta." She noted, her son crying loudly.

* * *

Mimi thought about those slippers every day. She drew pictures of them and talked about them constantly. She had memorized her Cinderella picturebook. She even wrote Santa Claus a special note about them. She was obsessed. 

"Mimi!" her best friend cried, "Can we talk 'bout somethin' else? I know you like the shoes!"

"But, Angel!" Mimi whined at recess that day. She had been calling the boy Angel since he dressed up as one for Halloween, his favorite holiday, "I love these shoes! If you could only see them! They're just like Cinderella's. 'Cept they're not really glass. Mama says they're plastic. She says, if they were glass, they would break in half and cut my feet and I would bleed everywhere.

"Ew." Angel commented.

* * *

Christmas came and went. Mimi loved all of her presents. She even got a Cinderella Barbie doll. But no slippers. She was disappointed of course, but she didn't complain. In fact, she didn't even mention them. 

Her mother wanted to buy Mimi the slippers. She knew her daughter would love them and wear them all the time. Heck, she would probably even wear them to bed. But the truth was, they were too expensive. For a toy she would grow out of sooner than most, and on her husband's shrinking income, she couldn't afford it.

She noticed the look on Mimi's face when she didn't get them. And that made her feel terrible.

Winter break ended with the beginning of the new year. 1976, the bicentennial brought Mimi and Angel back to Kindergarten.

Recess took place on the large tennis courts behind the public elementary school. Kindergarten and third grade had recess at the same time, and most of the girls in Miss Kidder's PM Kindergarten class were standing close to their boundary, trying to catch a glimpse of the oh-so-famous third grader, Roger Davis.

"He's so cute!"

"I love Woger."

"I heard he has a kittar

Mimi rolled her eyes in disgust, "I don't know why they like him. I think he's ugly."

Angel nodded in agreement and sat down next to his friend.

"Okay, Mimi! Now I get to give you your Christmas presen' from me!"

Mimi clapped in excitement. She had given Angel pink bobby socks with flowers that he had loved.

She tore open the snow man paper, and found a box. She opened the box and saw the most beautiful things she had ever laid her eyes on.

"My slippers! Angel, how did you? Did you? Oh my…thank you!" she reached over and hugged the boy.

"Abuela gave them to my sister, and they didn't fit. Go on, try 'em on!"

Mimi excitedly ripped off her sneakers and placed them on her feet. They fit perfectly.

* * *

"I was Cinderella for Halloween that year, and Angel was Snow White. I grew out of them eventually. But I always kept them. Every time I look at them now, I think of how generous she was." 

"That's sweet, babe. She was generous. She gave me cash the first time I met her!" Roger spoke softly.

"I miss her so much." Mimi wiped a small tear from her eye.

"I do, too. We all do." Roger comforted his girlfriend.

They were both tired. It was Christmas Eve, and the two were up late exchanging stories of their favorite Christmas presents. Mimi had so far told about a lit candle, a song, and the slippers. Roger had told of his guitar and her. Mimi called him corny, but he didn't care.

"So you really thought I was ugly?"

Mimi laughed and nodded.

Soon enough, the blond songwriter was asleep, and Mimi was drowning in thoughts of Angel.

"Angel, chica?" Mimi whispered at the ceiling, "Can you hear me? Well, if you can…I just wanted to say thanks. Not just for the slippers, but for everything. Love you, girl." She kissed her index and middle fingers together and reached them toward the ceiling. And she swore, until her dying day, that Angel had done the same.

**THE END**


End file.
